Unexpected
by CindersNSmoke
Summary: Dumbledore forces Professor Snape into taking in an unexpected guest. My attempt at combining the Harry Potter world with the concepts of alchemists from the Fullmetal Alchemist.There are no actual cross over characters from FMA.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter and FMA worlds do not belong to me!  
Hey there! This is my first attempt at writing a fan fiction. I decided to combine the world of Harry Potter with the concept of alchemists from the Full Metal Alchemist. Trudy Quinn is the character I created and I hope you like her!  
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_Chapter One:  
_

_How dare he!_ Severus Snape raged. He crashed down the Gargoyle's stone steps, cursing bitterly._  
I'm not his slave! He can't simply use me as his puppet! _He hurried down to his office and hastily threw some random items on his desk into a leather bag. _I don't give a damn if the girl is the last alchemist! Why does she have to stay at my house!? _Snape thought angrily. He stormed out and headed toward the main entrance.

Though the school year was over and it was the first day of summer vacation, most of the faculty was still at Hogwarts wrapping up last minute work. In his blind rage, Snape nearly knocked over Professor McGonagall charging for the door. She gave an irritated huff and he threw a hurried "excuse me!" at her.

"Where are you going in such a hurry!?" She called after him.

"Home!" He yelled back to her.

She watched him curiously as he ran off to a place he could apparate from and then shrugged and went about her business. Minerva didn't like Snape much and wondered why Dumbledore put up with the man.

Several hours later, Snape sat in a rather pathetic looking armchair in a pathetic looking living room. Dumbledore would be arriving soon with that wretched child. He hadn't bothered to ask how old she was and now he was starting to worry. What if she was only eight or something? There's no way he was going to be babysitting for the whole summer! There was a dull knock on the door as he mulled this horrid thought over.

Snape slumped his way to the door and flung it open forcefully. Dumbledore stood on the stoop smiling at him. Snape glared at him and glanced to Dumbledore's side. A tall and extremely thin girl stood beside him. She looked about 15 or 16. She was clearly of Irish descent with her pale freckled skin and long curly red hair.

"Severus, may I introduce to you, Trudy Quinn. Trudy, Dear, this is Professor Snape." Dumbledore said politely.

"Pleased to me-"

"Yes, Yes. Just get inside." Snape interrupted her rudely.

Dumbledore lead Trudy in first, and followed in behind her. She stood awkwardly in the middle of the room holding a small white duffel bag. Dumbledore stood beside her and gave Snape a stern look as he busied himself with something on a side table.

"Severus, Are you going to invite us to sit down?" He asked calmly with a slight inflection.

"Sit down." Snape echoed.

Dumbledore gave a small frustrated sigh and lead Trudy to the least pathetic looking chair.

"Severus, I know you don't like this." Dumbledore sighed, talking to the air. Snape grunted in agreement. "But I wouldn't ask this of you if I didn't need your help. Please take care of her for me. You are protecting something precious, whether you see it as such or not. You promised you were willing to help me..."

Snape turned to look at Dumbledore. "Yes, I am. I'm sorry. I will do as you ask." He muttered. He was upset, but realized he did indeed promise Dumbledore he would help him, no matter the cost.

"Thank you. I think you'll find having a companion won't be as bad as you think it will."

Snape grunted unhappily. _Yeah right...a snot nosed teenage brat was not a companion._

Trudy watched Dumbledore and this man that she would be staying with. _I am clearly unwanted here_, she thought. _Why did Dumbledore bring me here? Surely there was another wizard or witch willing to take me in? _After an hour or so, Dumbledore stood up abruptly and set down his teacup on a nearby table.

"Thank you, Severus. Unfortunately, I must go." He said to Snape, who sighed and nodded.

"Goodbye, Trudy. I will see you soon." Dumbledore said patting her hand affectionately.

"Goodbye, Professor." She replied reluctantly.

He walked to the door and opened it slowly. Dumbledore stopped in the doorway and turned to Snape.

"Be kind to her, Severus." He said and then he was gone.

Snape stood near the open door for a moment, staring at where the Headmaster had just been. To Trudy, he looked deep in thought. He closed the door and wandered into a small, and run down kitchen. Trudy hesitantly got up and followed him, still clutching her bag as if it were a child.

He sighed and then turned to look at her.

"Follow me and I'll show you to your bedroom." He said in a resigned voice.

"Thank you," replied a small voice.

He walked down a dark hallway and stopped at a doorway on the left. "There." He said, pointing inside.

When she got to the doorway, she paused and then looked up at Snape, silently asking permission to enter. "Well, go on." He said, slightly annoyed.

She walked inside and set her bag on the bed. It was a small room and was pretty barren. There was a bed, a small night stand to the right and a dresser on the left. The paint on the walls were peeling up in the corners.

Snape stared at her for a moment. She was so skinny, her limbs looked like twigs and he could swear that he could see her ribs poking through her dress. She looked tired as she surveyed the room.

It was painful how familiar she looked.

Snape turned around and started to walk away down the hall.

"Wait." She called, her voice a little stronger than before. He paused and looked at her.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Trudy said politely, bending her head slightly.

"Welcome." He replied curtly and stomped off back to the living room.

Snape threw himself back into the worn armchair and sighed deeply. The very last thing he wanted was to have a guest in his house. _This old and horrible house_. He couldn't help feel miserable in the thought that the summer had only just begun.

Trudy sat on the bed for a moment chewing on her lip. She wondered if she should go back out and talk to him or if he'd prefer her to stay here. It was a little cold in the small room and she brought her knees up to her chest for warmth. She couldn't help but think that she was a burden. A burden to this man, the Headmaster and the world that tried to exterminate her. After several minutes of debating with herself, Trudy got up and walked out to the living room. She paused for a moment in the doorway and when Snape pretended to take no notice of her, she walked in and sat down in the armchair across from him. She felt extremely uncomfortable. Why did Dumbledore leave her here?

"Professor? You work at Hogwarts, right? What is it like there?" Trudy asked. She was feeling brave enough to attempt a conversation with this unpleasant soul.

"Yes." He answered slowly without looking up from the book he was reading. "It's just a school. Didn't you go to a school?" He said sarcastically.

"Yes and no." She replied. "Where I lived there was only an Alchemy school, but it is gone now." She explained. Snape didn't look up at her and didn't want to admit he was mildly interested in what see meant by that.

"Alchemy school?" He asked, trying to sound uninterested.

" I grew up in India. We lived in underground in the alchemy guild. My mother was a witch from Ireland and my father was an alchemist from India. I am both an alchemist and a witch, but I studied alchemy from my school and witchcraft from my mother...so I am afraid I am not up to standards on what is asked of witches and wizards here." She explained.

"Hm." Snape replied, turning a page. He hadn't expected her to be a witch too. Dumbledore explained that she was, aside from Nicolas Flamel, the only known surviving alchemist in the world.

"If...if you're a Professor...well." Trudy began, not quite sure how to ask this. Perhaps it was rude to ask him...

"Well, spit it out!" He yelled. Snape reached for his teacup and took a sip.

"I was wondering if you would teach me a little bit this summer?" She asked in a rush, the words tumbling out like an avalanche.

He spluttered in his teacup and began to cough violently.

"But if you don't want to, it's okay!" Trudy added, waving her arms frantically. She wondered why she even bothered asking...of course it would be no.

"We'll see." He said, glaring at her.

She looked at him in surprise. She had been expecting a definite "no."

"Quit looking at me like that." He muttered, drawing his attention back to his book. Trudy grinned slightly. It would be really great if she could catch up a little. She knew she was way behind. She had gone to an alchemy school since she was very young, but when the war started and the school was destroyed... It had been many years since she'd been in school and wondered if she'd be okay.

"What are you smirking about?"

"Nothing." Trudy replied, wiping the grin off her face.

_Great, she wants me to teach her. As if I hadn't had enough of teaching stupid brats,_ Snape thought. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. _What was he going to do? How could Dumbledore do this to him? He must have known who she resembled... _He heard a soft growl from the opposite side of the room. Puzzled, he looked around for the source of the noise. Trudy's cheeks began to grow red.

"_Was that you_?" Snape asked, confused.

"Yes...I'm sorry. I'm a little hungry." She admitted, covering her face in embarrassment.

"Didn't Dumbledore feed you!? No wonder you look like you're wasting away. Get up, get up!" Snape yelled, leaping out of his chair in astonishment. Trudy jumped out of her seat as well.

"Come with me." He growled entering the kitchen. He began rummaging through cupboards, they seemed pretty bare as if he hadn't lived here in quite some time. He slammed the last cupboard shut and growled in frustration.

"Nothing! Dammit, now I have to go out! Did I ask for this? No! Did I want some bratty teenager here? No!" He yelled to himself insanely.

"No, It's okay. I'm fine. I don't need anything." Trudy said trying to calm the crazy man.

"Shut up, and stay right here." he ordered, pointing a long bony finger at her.

"Please, you don't have to-"

BANG! He was gone. Trudy looked around frantically. What happened to him? Did he explode from rage? She burst into tears, staring at the spot where he disappeared. _What should I do? What should I **do**!?_ _Find Dumbledore and say "I'm sorry, but Professor Snape exploded in his kitchen. I guess I was too much stress for the poor man." Then he'd say "but...you've only been there two hours!" This is ridiculous. Is he really gone? _Trudy knelt down on the floor where Snape had stood. She was examining the floor carefully when there was a loud pop beside her.

She screamed and fell backwards, Snape was standing feet from where he was moments ago, holding a loaf of bread and stuffing change in his pocket.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" Trudy declared happily, tears still streaming down her face.

"What's wrong with you?! Get up off of the floor!" He yelled, looking bewildered.

Trudy climbed to her feet and stumbled toward him.

"What on earth are you crying for!?" Snape asked. He was thoroughly confused.

"I thought you exploded." She explained, wiping her face and sounding relieved.

"What?"

"I said I thought you exploded." Trudy repeated herself, as if this were a normal thing to think.

Snape tossed the loaf of bread at her in disgust.

"Here. Don't think I'll be making special trips for you all the time now, you little brat."

"Thank you!" Trudy exclaimed and bit into it like a ravenous dog.

"Disgusting," he commented and trudged toward the living room.

"Wait!" Trudy yelped, following him. "What was that? How did you disappear like that?"

"It's called apparating, you stupid girl!" Snape yelled, throwing himself into his abused armchair.

"Oh." Trudy replied, ignoring the "stupid girl" comment. She really wanted to ask more questions, but could tell she was annoying him. She ate her bread in silence, dying to ask him questions but knowing she better not.

Finally when she couldn't contain her curiosity any longer she asked, " Is it like a portkey?"

"Yes. You've heard of a portkey but not apparating?" He replied, his eyebrows pressed together.

"When I escaped from the war zone, a kind wizard set one up for me and a couple others." Trudy explained hesitantly.

"If you escaped with others, how come you aren't staying with them?" Snape asked sarcastically. He was seriously wondering why she had to stay with _him._

"They're dead." She said simply, her eyes suddenly looking more tired than before.

Snape held her gaze for a moment and then looked away. He was too insensitive, and he knew it. But what could he do? He was not a kind man by any means. Snape cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Um. Yes. Apparition is much like a portkey. It's rather difficult to learn, but is a convenient method of transportation. One must have a license of course." He explained. Snape closed his eyes and waved his hand, implying this was common knowledge.

"I see...and how does one get a license?" Trudy asked curiously.

"One must be seventeen years old or older." He explained dully.

"I'll be seventeen next year." Trudy replied, studying Snape's reactions.

He smirked. " I doubt you'll be able to get it, if you've never been to a school of witchcraft." Snape said spitefully.

"I might..." Trudy said boldly, sounding more sure than she felt. Snape ignored her and turned his attention back to his book. He was reading the same line over and over and not retaining a word. She was too distracting.

"Professor...?" Trudy called timidly.

"What!?" He screamed, throwing his book down in frustration. His face had gone white.

"Um...well I wanted to know what subject you taught, but...sorry." Trudy said, getting up. _I'm a bother, I should leave._

_"_Potions. I teach potions." He replied flatly.

"Forgive me for bothering you and thank you for the food. Good night." Trudy bowed slightly and hurried out of the room.

_Silly girl. _Snape laid his head in his hands and drew a deep breath. _It wasn't fair. It was almost cruel. Did Dumbledore want to torture him? She looked so much like Lily... _Snape wondered if Dumbledore was in his office because he had half a mind to barge in there and demand an explanation. However, it was getting late and the Headmaster had probably already gone home. The Headmaster normally worked over the summer, but typically left in the evenings to his summer home.

Trudy surveyed the bedroom. It was cold and dark and there was no sign of a lamp. She sighed miserably and sat on the bed. She stared at her hands. They were rough and past few years had not been kind to her. Despite Professor Snape being an unfriendly man... it wasn't so bad. Then again, she hadn't had high expectations.

End of chapter one!

-CindersNSmoke


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

The next morning Trudy was woken by bright sunlight streaming through the room's only window. Even though it was old and quite filthy, the morning sun still managed to shine through. She threw the blankets off of her and looked around curiously. She hadn't remembered falling asleep. She had been so exhausted last night that she hadn't even changed out of yesterday's clothes. Apprehensively, Trudy ventured into the hallway. The door across from hers appeared to be a bathroom, but where was Professor Snape's room? There didn't appear to be any other rooms in the house aside from the sitting room, kitchen and this hallway.

Trudy crept out to the kitchen and when there was no sign of him there, she wandered into the sitting room. She frowned slightly when she discovered that this room was also vacant. _Did he leave?_  
Yesterday the sitting room was barely lit and Trudy had taken no notice of the shelves of bookcases lining the walls. She approached one of the shelves and squinted at the writing on one of the old leather bound books. They were... cook books? No...potions and spell books.

Trudy reached up to take one down but then paused, her fingers resting on the spine of black leather book with gold writing. _What if I'm not allowed to look at these? I should ask first. It would be rude of me to go through the Professor's library. _Trudy let her hand fall and contented herself with merely reading the titles along the spines. There was quite a collection here.

BANG! Feet away from Trudy, one of the bookcases burst open and a rather irate looking Snape emerged from a narrow staircase. Trudy backed up in surprise.

"Ah, So that is where you have been." She remarked. She tilted her head in attempt to get a glimpse of the upstairs.

"Are you reading my books?" Snape asked incredulously.

"No." Trudy replied, shaking her head. "Just looking at the titles. Am I not allowed?" She asked meekly.

"It's fine. But none on that top shelf over there." He said sharply. He pointed to the bookcase behind the sofa.

"Okay. Why not?" Trudy asked curiously.

"Why is everything a question with you!? Because I said so-That's why!"

"I was just wondering!" Trudy exclaimed. _I didn't mean anything defiant by it! Sheesh._

"Dangerous. Okay? They're dangerous." Snape said giving in and throwing his head back in mild frustration.

"Okay." Trudy said. She really wanted to ask "how so?" but decided it was best not to ask Mr. Grumpy.

Snape shut the bookcase "door" and then looked around for a moment. Trudy thought it looked like he forgot what he came downstairs to do.

"Hungry?" Snape asked attempting to smile at her, but it looked more like a grimace.

_Well that's just frightening. Is that supposed to be a smile?_ "Um...yes, a little." Trudy admitted.

"This way, then." He said leading her into the kitchen. He pulled his wand from his robes and flicked it at the cupboards. The doors flew open and they were now stuffed with food.

"Have anything you'd like." He said stomping off back to the sitting room.

"Wait, how did all that stuff get here?" She asked, following him like a shadow.

Snape stopped so abruptly that she crashed into him.

"Miss Quinn, You are driving me insane." Snape declared, balling his fists tightly and taking deep breaths.

"I bought it this morning." He conceded in hopes she would leave him alone.

"Trudy. Call me Trudy." Trudy said, seemingly ignoring his reply.

"No." Snape refused outright.

"Fine then. Thank you for breakfast." Trudy retorted, sounding completely unconcerned. She walked away back into the kitchen.

Snape put his hands to his face and pulled down on his cheeks slightly. She would drive him mad. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would be crazy by the end of the summer.

Several minutes later, Trudy re-emerged with a tray of biscuits and two teacups. She set it down beside him and he eyed it suspiciously.

"I didn't buy biscuits." He stated plainly.

"I made them. You had all the ingredients I needed...Was I not supposed to?"

"No,no. It's fine." Snape said. He was surprised. He had forgotten that he'd left some of the muggle appliances. He hated that kitchen, he hated this house.  
The tea and biscuits were actually quite enjoyable. Snape found that perhaps it even rivaled that of the house elves of Hogwarts, but of course he would never tell her that. The fleeting thought to Hogwarts reminded Snape of his business with Dumbledore. Once he finished eating he set down his teacup and jumped up out of his chair.

"What's wrong?" Trudy asked, looking up at him.

"I'm going to Hogwarts." He turned toward her. " Don't get into any trouble."

"Wait-"

CRACK!

"...Take me with you..."

Trudy stared at the spot where he had instantly vacated. _Now what was she going to do? Was he going to be gone all day? _She resigned herself to cleaning up the tray and the small mess she made in the kitchen. After she finished cleaning up, she stood in the kitchen looking around. The kitchen was old and rather beat up. The wooden cupboards were broken, splintering and desperately needed to be cleaned. The tile floor was cracked and stained. Even the appliances and furniture were in haggard conditions. One of the legs on the table had split down the middle and threatened to snap with the slightest bit of weight. The chairs weren't in much better condition.

The kitchen wasn't a lost hope of course, just severely neglected. Trudy wondered why it had been so neglected, when a wizard could make an easy task of repairing it._ I know...I will fix it for him and then perhaps he won't despise my presence so much._ Trudy went purposefully over to the pantry and began searching for tools she would need. There was a broom and a mop. Now all she needed was some chalk...Trudy began searching through drawers until finally she came across a box of children's pavement chalk underneath a box of nails. Trudy was astonished that she had found everything she would need...she figured a wizard would have no use for so much non-magic supplies.

She took out the box of chalk and knelt by the cabinets on the left. When opening the box she noticed a name written in marker on the back. _Lily Evans_. It was small and disjointed writing, evidently a young child's. Trudy carefully drew a transmutation circle on the first cabinet door. She then touched it with both her was a flash of light and the ragged door was repaired. She continued on down the line until she had fixed all the doors, sides and counter top. She was pleased that even after going so long without using a transmutation circle that she still had the skills.

She spent the rest of the afternoon repairing the furniture and appliances. She worked tirelessly scrubbing and repairing chips in the tile floor. _I really wish I had an apron_, Trudy thought as she noticed the stains she was getting on her clothes. Rummaging through the linen closet she found a few old table cloths. She took the newest and nicest looking one and laid it out on the newly repaired table.

She took a ripped and frayed one and tied it around her thin waist the best she could. _There, much better_. Trudy found a wall clock in the living room and decided Professor Snape probably wouldn't mind too much if she made dinner. She was pleased to find the icebox stocked full and found a casserole dish in the drawer under the stove. After tallying the ingredients available, she decided to make a shepherd's pie. It was nearly 5 o'clock and she hoped he would be home soon. Trudy hastily peeled the potatoes and threw them in a pot. When 6 o'clock rolled around and dinner was ready, Trudy started to worry when the Professor still wasn't home.

_Is he even coming home tonight?_ Not sure what to do now, Trudy set the table. The blue china looked stunning against the white lace tablecloth. Her mother had taught her all these house keeping skills. Although she had lived as a slave for nearly the past four years, she had not forgotten these seemingly worthless skills. Trudy actually even knew how to do some of these things with a wand, but her wand had been lost a long time ago.

Giving up on Snape, Trudy put the shepherd's pie back in the oven to keep it warm. She wandered aimlessly into the sitting room. Maybe she'd look at a book until he got home. Without looking at the title, she pulled one down from a shelf at random and settled herself on the sofa.  
It was a rather boring book about the rare properties of some kind of nearly extinct newt. The author went on and on about a sighting of the elusive newt in North America. However, the prospect of making potions greatly interested her. Trudy's eyes felt heavy, she couldn't keep her eyes open much longer.

CRACK!

"Finally, you're home!" Trudy exclaimed.

"Why were you waiting for me anyway?" He asked more savagely than he would have liked. Professor Snape was evidently in a bad mood. He was glaring and seemed exhausted.

"There's dinner...If you want it." She said, hopefully.

"Not hungry." Snape muttered cruelly.

"Oh. Okay..." Trudy replied, her voice distinctly crestfallen. She got up slowly, leaving the book on the sofa and drifted toward the kitchen.

Professor Snape settled himself in his armchair and tried to relax. His meeting with Dumbledore hadn't gone well. It was mostly him shouting at the Headmaster, until Dumbledore unwavering, threw him out of his office. The argument put him in a fowl mood for the rest of the day.

Meanwhile, Trudy in the kitchen, placed the meal on the table and served herself. She sat down and began to eat alone. _Why did I bother waiting for him? I was starving an hour ago, _she seethed. It was a bit sad actually. The kitchen, now restored to its glory days and the table set attractively for the meal, yet a lonely girl sat dejectedly at the end.

As Snape sat stewing in his dissatisfaction, a smell lingered into the room from the kitchen. It smelled absolutely delicious, whatever it was. The Professor's stomach was suddenly growling. He lied when had he said he wasn't hungry. In truth, He hadn't eaten since breakfast. He got up and decided it wouldn't hurt to investigate.

As he entered the kitchen, he nearly fell over in shock.

"What-What have you done!?" He bellowed, grasping the door frame for support.

Trudy looked up at him. She was stunned. She thought he would be happy. Okay, maybe not happy...but certainly not upset. Snape strode over to the cabinets and ran his hands over them.

"I thought you said you didn't know much magic." He said in confusion.

"I don't, I did this with alchemy. Was it wrong of me?" Trudy asked, suddenly very concerned.

Snape was silent for a moment. He looked around the room. It looked better. Hell, it looked a lot better. He had no idea alchemy could work like this. He was surprised how new it looked and hated to admit he was almost pleased now that the shock had worn off. Even in his childhood it never looked this nice...Of course his mother and father had never taken good care of their home.

"No... Why did you do this?" He said. He answered no, but why did he still look so angry?

_Why? To please you? To win your favor?_ They all were good answers, but a little embarrassing to admit.

"I-I don't know." Trudy murmured.

"You don't know." He repeated coldly.

Trudy's hands trembled a little as she put down her utensils. Snape stared at the table. It looked nice. There were two place settings at the table that was for four. The aroma from the shepherd's pie was tempting and his stomach growled again with insistence.

Trudy laughed and looked away from him shyly. He frowned deeply and could feel red creeping up his neck from embarrassment.

"Please, sit down and eat?" Trudy said, stifling a laugh.

"Very well..." Snape replied as if it were a great burden.

The shepherd's pie was as delicious as it looked and smelled. When Professor Snape was in the middle his second helping, Trudy looked at him.

"Hungry, then?" She said, feeling considerably braver.

He glowered at her.

"So, what did you do all day? Since you left me here all alone." Trudy asked accusingly.

"That is none of your concern, Miss Quinn." He replied venomously. "You apparently were very busy." Snape added.

"You left me with nothing to do!" She nearly screeched at him.

"Calm yourself." Snape said coldly. She sighed and went back to eating. It was pointless to try to talk to him.  
Snape noticed she'd given up talking. Normally he would appreciate his victory, but he found it amusing to banter back and forth with her.

"This...is very good." Professor Snape practically whispered. He wasn't very good at complimenting someone.

Trudy looked at him in astonishment. _Did he really just say that?_ "Thank you..."

"I looked at one of your potions books today. It seems like fun, like cooking." Trudy mentioned shyly.

"Hm. I'll admit if you are as good at potions as you are at cooking, then you'll make a fine student." Professor Snape stated honestly, thoroughly enjoying his meal. Trudy cocked an eyebrow at him. _Two compliments in the same day? Was he ill?_

"Maybe you could teach me a little about them?" Trudy asked. She knew was probably pressing her luck, but tried anyway.

"Yeah, I'd have to write a letter for permission from the Department of Ministries first." He replied seriously.

"Permission letter?"

"Underage witches and wizards aren't permitted to practice magic outside of school. I'll send an owl tomorrow." He said casually, as if this was no big deal.

"Like tutoring." Trudy replied, gleeful inside. He was going to teach her! All this time she thought she'd have a job trying to convince him...but all she had to do was make him shepherd's pie! How ridiculous!

"Exactly."said Snape helping himself to thirds.

"Thank you."

"Welcome." He said, not meeting her gaze.

The rest of the meal went along pleasantly and when Professor Snape excused himself, he paused and stared at something on the counter. He strode over to it and picked up the old box of chalk.

"Where did you get this?!" Snape demanded angrily.

"I-I found it in a drawer." Trudy explained, suddenly horrified by his change in attitude.

His face contorted with rage as he stared at her. "Why did you take this out?!"

"I used it with my a-alchemy. For the t-transmutation circle." She explained shakily. What was he getting so worked up about?

Snape threw the box across the room and the chalk flew out and broke into several pieces. He stormed out of the room and flung open the secret passage. It closed with a crash.

Trudy rushed over to the chalk and began to pick up the broken pieces. Trembling, she drew a transmutation circle on the floor and laid the pieces inside. She touched the circle and in a burst of light the pieces were whole once again. Trudy put them back in the box and slipped it into her dress pocket.

She ran into the living room and pounded on the bookcase.

"Come back!" She shouted, blinking back tears.

"I didn't know! I didn't know I wasn't supposed to use them! Please come back!" Trudy yelled rapping hard on the bookcase.

"You haven't told me the rules! How could I have known!? Please come back..." Trudy begged. She slid down onto the floor and leaned against the shelf. _What an aggravating man. Things were just getting a little easier and of course he has to go insane again. At this rate, he'll never teach me anything._

Snape stood at the top of the staircase, trying to calm down. Why did he freak out like that? Why was seeing _her_ name powerful enough to throw himself into a fit of rage. _You're a fool_, Snape told himself squeezing the bridge of his nose and listening to the girl's pleas. But it wasn't just her name...Those were Lily's. She had given them to him to play with when her family went on vacation for a week. How he treasured that stupid box of chalk when he was a child!

_"I don't want you to go on vacation, Lily. I'm gonna be bored."_

_"Here." She said, handing him the box of chalk they were playing with on the bit of pavement in the park. "You can have these. Now you won't be bored. I'll be back on Sunday."_

_"T-Thanks."_

Trudy clambered to her feet, deciding it was useless and a little silly looking to beg outside a seemingly solid wall. Discouraged, she walked back into the kitchen and began to clean up. Once she finished her chores she went down the hall and into her bedroom. She pulled some clean clothes out of her white duffel bag and went to the bathroom. She locked the door and assumed it'd be alright to take a bath.

She turned on the faucet in the old ceramic bathtub and undressed. The warm water felt good on her aching body. Once she got out she dried herself off with a towel, she turned her back to the mirror and looked over her shoulder. Long and deep white scars lined her back. One might think she'd been mauled by a giant cat...but this was the work of a whip. How many years had she been in that hell hole? Four? _Only four?_ Had it really only been four years? It had felt like an eternity.


	3. Chapter 3

_"Please, Simon! We can't!"_

_"Trudy, this is a prison! We could escape! I know we could!" A tall man of about 19 stood before her. His normally pale face was red with anger and streaked with dirt._

_"Yes! We could! But Simon at least it is safe here!" Trudy begged. She clutched at his hands. Like hers, they were weathered by the harsh work of the fields._

_"Safe!? You call this safe!? He screamed incredulously. "Look at us! We're starving! We're being beaten and worked to death! Can't you see that!?" Angry tears burst from his eyes._

_"...the outside...We don't know what's out there. We could die." She whispered, shaking her head._

_"We could die here! Trudy, let's escape. It'd be easy. Please." He pleaded, his voice shook. He was terrified._

_"You go. I cannot." She said, hanging her head._

_"I won't leave you or Anna. If you refuse, than I am forced to stay." With that, Simon marched off toward the fields._

Trudy woke with a start, her heart hammering in her chest. _Simon...Oh, Simon...If I had not been such a coward? If we had escaped from the rice fields then, would you still be alive? Would Anna or Mohan? Would Amelia still be alive too?_ Tears began to streak down Trudy's pale face. She closed her eyes._ I'm so sorry_.

When Trudy walked out to the main room she found Professor Snape sitting at the kitchen table reading a newspaper.

"Good morning." She said more cheerfully than she felt.

"Morning," he grunted, not looking up.

Trudy studied him for a moment. He always looked tired. His long hair kept falling in his face and he would brush it away in irritation. She hoped that whatever had set him off yesterday wasn't still bothering him.

"Are those pictures..." Trudy said, sounding silly. "Moving?"

"Hm?" He said looking perplexed.

"The newspaper." She replied, pointing to the front page where a pretty witch with golden hair smiled and waved to the camera. She was surrounded by an animated crowd. Perhaps a celebrity?

"Oh, yes." Snape said, lifting his elbows and removing the front page and handing it to her.

"Have a look." He was starting to get used to her lack of insight into the wizarding world. Alchemists must live similarly to muggles.

_How odd!_ Trudy had never seen anything like this. Even the small cartoon ad in the corner moved with excitement. The pretty witch pictured at the top was an actress named Josephina Clay and evidently starred in a recent film. Trudy brought the newspaper across the table and sat down completely engrossed in it.

"I'm going to Hogwarts again today-"

"Oh please, take me with you!" Trudy shouted at him in a rush before he disappeared like yesterday. Snape was startled by the sudden outburst, but then sighed heavily.

"I suppose I should...wouldn't want you deciding to redecorate my living room or something." He said.

"Really!? Thank you!" She replied excitedly.

"But I won't have any of this nonsense of you following me around like my shadow. I have work to get done." He glared at her.

"But what am I supposed to do instead?"

Snape shrugged. "Explore the castle. There's plenty to do there."

"Okay..." Trudy agreed. She was delighted that he decided to take her with him.

After breakfast Professor Snape went into the living room and opened the grate to an old fireplace. Dust and ash flew everywhere and he began to cough. It obviously hadn't been used in a while.  
He picked up a dry log beside the fireplace and placed it on the grate. Snape then took out his wand, placed the tip near the log and muttered "Incendio." It lit and the fire crackled and squeaked as it engulfed the log. Trudy watched with curiosity. _Why would he light a fire just before leaving?_

The professor reached his hand in a small tin container and pulled out a handful of powder. He stretched his closed fist into the grate and dropped the powder into the fire. The flames burst into a brilliant green.

"Wow..." Trudy remarked, creeping closer for a better look.

"Okay. Get in." Snape said, giving her a slight push.

"What!!?" Trudy shrieked, holding onto the side of the fireplace for dear life. "You were going to push me in fire!" She accused staring down at the green flames.

"It's fine! It doesn't hurt." He explained, closing his eyes in desperate attempt to keep his patience. She looked at him with an 'are you sure' expression but nevertheless stepped cautiously into the flame. He was right, it didn't hurt. It felt weird, but it didn't hurt.

"Alright, say very clearly now 'Hogwarts, Headmaster's office'."

"Hogwarts, Headmaster's office...please?" **Whoosh** and she was gone.

Snape shook his head in exasperation. _Polite even to a fireplace...ridiculous._

WHAM! Trudy had landed into another fireplace with a mighty thud. Dumbledore looked up in surprise and then smiled, walking calmly to the hearth. He grabbed her gently under the arms and hoisted her out of the fireplace. How peculiar for an old man to have such strength!

"Better get you out of there, I'm sure Professor Snape is soon to follow." He said, brushing ash off of her shoulders. It didn't do much good however, she was nearly covered in soot.

Sure enough, the fire place turned green once more and Professor Snape ducked out of the hearth. His landing had been quite a bit more graceful than Trudy's had been. Snape glanced at Trudy and the yelled, "Miss Quinn, How on earth...? You're covered in soot! What did you do roll in the grate!?"

"Sorry." She muttered, not meeting his gaze.

"It's fine, Severus. Nearly everyone does that their first time on the floo network." Dumbledore said. He took his wand out and pointed it at Trudy. Without him saying a word, her clothes were suddenly clean again.

"Oh, Thank you." She said, examining her sleeve. _Where did it all go?_

"You are most welcome. It's nice to see you." Dumbledore remarked adjusting his half-mooned spectacles.

"Nice to see you again too, Sir." Trudy replied, nodding her head.

Snape rolled his eyes at the excessively polite chitchat.

"If you'll excuse me, Headmaster, I have work to do." He said pushing past them.

"Wait." Trudy said, following at his heels.

"Goodbye, Trudy." Dumbledore called, chuckling to himself as he watched the girl chase Snape down the staircase.

"Miss Quinn..." Professor Snape said through clenched teeth as Trudy tagged along behind him.

"I thought I told you not to follow me around."

She frowned. _How unfair._ "Alright, Alright." She gave in and slumped her shoulders.

"Meet me in my office at..." He paused, figuring out how much time he would need. "6 O'clock." He started to stalk off but was halted by Trudy's call.

"Wait, I don't know where your office is!"

"In the dungeons."

"The dungeons!?" She called in disbelief. _Why does this school have a dungeon? How bizarre, indeed! _Professor Snape disappeared around a corner and Trudy was left standing in the corridor. _Well, I guess I should go do something then..._

Trudy was shocked, to say the least when she discovered the moving staircases.

"What possessed the person who bewitched these! ?"She ranted in aggravation as the particular stair she was on spun around at random. She was losing her balance and resorted to crawling down the stairs on her hands and knees.

"Do not speak so disrespectfully about the founder!" Shrieked an nearby oil painting.

"Oh my! Forgive me." Trudy panted, clutching her heart which pounded wildly in her chest. It wasn't everyday an oil painting scolded her.

"May I ask who the founder was?" She said, trying to strike a more pleasant conversation.

"Madam Rowena Ravenclaw was the founder of Ravenclaw." The portrait stately proudly.

Trudy honestly had no idea what a 'ravenclaw' might be. "Indeed? How nice." She replied, hoping this was a proper response.

"What house are you in? I've never seen you before." It asked suspiciously.

_What house am I in? Why does she care where I live? _"Erm...Professor Snape's house...?"

"Ah, Slytherin. Of course. No wonder you look like a fool on these staircases." It said. Trudy wasn't entirely sure what she was talking about, but had the distinct feeling she had just been insulted.

"I'm not quite sure what you mean by that." Trudy said feeling red creep up the back of her neck.

"I suppose you wouldn't. You Slytherins can be quite full of yourselves." The woman in the portrait said nastily.

"Well, Good day Ma'am." Trudy called to the portrait once she finally reached the bottom of the stairs.

"My, she was rather polite for a Slytherin, wouldn't you say?" Trudy heard the woman say to a nearby pastel painting.

_What was a Slytherin? That portrait didn't hold a very high opinion of them, whatever they were._ Trudy meandered into what appeared to be a large dining room. There were five long tables but four of them had been pushed against the walls. There was one long table all the way down at the was startled to find that there were a few people sitting at this table, apparently drinking tea.

They looked startled to see her and one woman called out to her.

"Who are you?" She asked, right to the point. Trudy cringed slightly, this woman looked as if she tolerated no nonsense.

"Ah-Um. Forgive my intrusion. My name is Trudy Quinn...Professor Snape said it was alright to explore the castle for a while." She explained, hoping this would make sense to this lady.

"Trudy Quinn? The alchemist?" A very small man interjected.

Trudy suddenly felt a little sick to her stomach. _The alchemist? What a pathetic excuse for an alchemist I am! _The cross looking woman turned to looked at him. Evidently she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Alchemist?"

"Oh yes," continued the man. "Professor Dumbledore told me that the ministry had rescued her from India. You see the guild had been attacked and thought to be destroyed several years ago. Aside from Nicolas Flamel, she's the only alchemist found alive. She's been through a terrible ordeal, the brave child."

I_'m not brave! _She had to clench her jaw together to keep from screaming. _Don't praise me! Don't! I'm horrid. I'm a coward! If I wasn't such a coward more of us would still be alive._

The woman noticed that she felt uncomfortable and cleared her throat.

" Nice to meet you, Trudy Quinn." She said, holding out her hand. "My name is Professor McGonagall."

"Pleased to meet you, Ma'am." Trudy replied, shaking her hand.

"I have my niece here with me today. She's about your age. Would you like to meet her?" Professor McGonagall said, her stern face somehow looking kinder.

"Yes. Yes, I would." She answered with relief. She didn't want to talk about the war. She didn't want to be applauded for escaping with her life. At what cost had she done so?_ My selfishness is what brought me here today, definitely not bravery!_

_"_Follow me, Please." She said sweeping out of the magnificent hall.

They entered a large classroom. A small girl with long brown hair sat at a desk with her back facing the door.

"Lenore, I have someone here that I think you'd like to meet."

The girl turned around. She was young, probably about 13 or 14. She had a kind face that contrasted sharply with her aunt's. She stood up and strode over to her aunt and Trudy.

"I'm Lenore McGonagall." She said, holding out her hand in the same way her aunt had done.

"Pleasure. I'm Trudy Quinn." She replied, shaking the girl's hand.

"Well, girls I will be in my office if you need anything." Professor McGonagall said, turning toward the door.

"Thank you." Trudy called after her.

"So what brings you to Hogwarts during the summer?" Lenore asked, walking back to her desk and closing the book she was reading. She tossed it in her school bag.

"I'm staying with Professor Snape this summer."Trudy explained.

"Ugh! Him!? How can you stand it!? He's horrid." she exclaimed, throwing her bag over her shoulder.

"He is a bit..." Trudy paused, trying not to speak ill of the man who had taken her in...willingly or not.

"Horrid." Lenore finished firmly. "Want to go out on the grounds? I'm tired of studying."

"Yes, I'd like to."

They walked together out of the classroom and down the stone steps to the Hogwarts grounds. They sat in the grass by the lake shore. Lenore took off her shoes and sighed lazily. Trudy removed her shoes as well and stretched out on the grass, enjoying the sunshine.

"What's that on your foot?" Lenore asked pointing at Trudy's right foot. On the top of her foot was a very elaborate tattoo.

"Oh this," Trudy said sitting up. "This is a peacock. The symbol my guild chose for me." she said pointing to the top of her foot. "And this is my guild's symbol." she said pointing right below the peacock. It looked like several triangles joined together and encompassed in a circle.

"Why are you in a guild?"

"I'm not anymore. The guild is dissolved." Trudy said. She regretted taking off her shoes.

"Well...what was the guild?" Lenore asked persistently.

"The Alchemist Guild." She said softly.

"I've heard of alchemists." Lenore said casually. "Nicolas Flamel is one right?"

_Indeed. The creator of the Philosopher's stone...If only people knew what it cost to make the damned thing, they would not speak his name so lightly._

"Yes."

Like her Aunt, Lenore was perceptive of other people's feelings and changed the subject. She sensed that Trudy did not want to talk about the guild or Flamel.

"I'm staying with my Aunt this summer." She broad casted.

"Oh, yes? Professor McGonagall seems nice."

"Not really. She's kinda strict." Lenore replied, grinning at her. Trudy nodded. She definitely had that impression when she met Professor McGonagall. Lenore and Trudy sat outside on the grass for hours chatting and enjoying each other's company.

"I get bored here a lot. Will you be coming back on Monday?" Lenore asked as they stood up to go inside. It was nearly six O'clock.

"I hope so. Professor Snape didn't want to bring me here at first though."

"Evil ole' bat." Lenore commented.

"Lenore!" Trudy scolded. "Don't talk about a teacher like that!"

"Well he is." She chuckled, completely unabashed.

"I'm starved, We didn't eat lunch today. Want to go lift some food from the kitchen?"

"No, I'm sorry. I must find the Professor. I was told to be in his office by 6 and I don't know where the dungeons are." Trudy explained. She discovered that Lenore seemed somewhat of a dare devil.

"Oh. Okay." Lenore proceeded to tell Trudy how to get to the dungeons.

"Thank you! I hope to see you Monday!" Trudy called, heading toward the dungeons.

"Yeah! Bye!"

Trudy rushed to the dungeons, but still managed to make it there 10 minutes after six.

"You're late." He commented when she knocked on the office door.

"Sorry," Trudy panted. "Got lost."

"I see. I won't tolerate tardiness when school starts." He said as he cleared off his desk.

"Yes. Forgive me."

"I met someone my age today." She told him as she sat down in a hard wooden chair. He said nothing, but continued putting things away as if he hadn't heard.

"Her name's Lenore McGonagall."

Trudy noticed that he distinctly froze.

"Indeed?" He said icily, his lips tightening. Trudy could tell Lenore and the Professor probably had mutual feelings of hatred for each other.

"I was hoping I would be able to come back on Monday..."

"We'll see." He replied callously. Trudy had the unmistakable feeling that it was hard to pin Professor Snape down to anything.

"Here." He threw an folded piece of paper at her.

"What is it?" She asked unfolding it.

"A reply from the Ministry. I've been given permission to tutor you." He said flatly, as if it were bad news.

"Really?" Trudy wanted to leap with joy.

"I borrowed some 1st year schoolbooks. I think it'd be best to start from there, you're probably way behind." He said nodding toward a pile of books on top of his desk.

"Great!" She exclaimed, completely ignoring the slight insult.

"You may use the supplies I have, all you need is your wand." Snape said as he tossed the books into a leather bag with a strap.

"I..." Trudy said hesitantly.

"Yes?" Snape glared at her.

"I don't have a wand. I lost it."

**End.**

**Well, That does it for chapter 3, Gang! Hope you enjoyed it.**

**CindersNSmoke**


	4. Chapter 4

chapter four:

Professor Snape and Trudy ate together in the Great Hall. Once they were finished they returned to Snape's house by floo powder. Trudy had the hang of it better and managed not to get soot all over the place.

Snape handed her the bag full of books. "Here, you can look through these."

"But, I thought..?I don't have a wand." Trudy replied sadly.

"We'll go to Diagon alley tomorrow morning." He said as he eased into his armchair.

Trudy opened the bag and spread the books out on the floor.

"I've seen this book. Lenore was reading it." Trudy declared, pointing to the Standard Book of Spells.  
Snape cleared his throat loudly. _Lenore, What an irritating student._ Snape thought, picturing the cheeky little devil. Last year he caught her and her friend Leticia Greene magically gluing dead caterpillars to the desks. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about Trudy being friends with her.

"Oh! Something weird happened today." She said.

"Oh?" He replied in a bored voice.

"Yes, I met a talking portrait. She yelled at me when I complained about those awful moving staircases." Trudy continued. She laid down on her belly and propped her head on her hands.

"She asked me something weird though. She wanted to know where I lived! I told her I lived at your house and she called me a Slytherin. Do you have any idea what that is?"

"You are not in my house!" He said in outrage.

"I'm not...? This isn't your house?" Trudy asked, severely confused.

"No! No! This is my house, but you aren't in my house at Hogwarts."

"Well, certainly not. I didn't know you had a house at Hogwarts." She replied. _Why did teachers have houses in a school?_

Professor Snape pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.

"Hogwarts is broken up into four houses." He explained slowly. "Students live in them,like dormitories. I am the head of the Slytherin house."

"Oh!" Trudy laughed. "No wonder I had no idea what she was talking about. Ravenclaw must also be a house then?"

"Yes." He said, rubbing his temples. _How could one girl be so irritating?_

Trudy opened the Standard Book of Spells and began skimming through it. She was pleased to find that she actually knew a few of these spells.

"She didn't like you very much." Trudy remarked.

"Who didn't?" He asked, humoring her. He didn't really care if someone disliked him. _So what else was new?_

"The lady in the portrait. She was insulting Slytherin. She said I looked like a fool on the staircases."

"You probably did."

"That's not the point!" Trudy hissed at him but then laughed sportsmanlike.

"Anyhow, She was quite rude." She continued conversationally.

He nodded. She probably had been rude. The house of Slytherin tended to be disliked by the rest of the castle. Snape told himself that it was because the rest of the houses were simply jealous.

"When I go to Hogwarts, maybe I'll be in your house." She added pensively.

Who knew? Only the sorting hat knew that, but if Snape were to guess which house she'd belong to, he'd guess Hufflepuff. At this thought, he snorted to keep from laughing out loud.

The next morning when Trudy came to the kitchen for breakfast she found the professor once again seated at the kitchen table reading the newspaper. He glared as he scanned the headlines. Trudy stared at him. He was a young man, maybe in his early twenties...yet he acted much older. Why did it look as if he'd lived a thousand years?

"You better hurry up and eat if you want me to take you to Diagon alley today." he remarked, continuing to read the paper.

About 20 minutes later they'd left via floo powder to Diagon alley.

"Oh, Look at that!" Trudy said excitedly as they past the Magical Menagerie. "Is that a fox? Can we-"

"No." Professor Snape said promptly. He grabbed Trudy's shoulder firmly and directed her toward Ollivander's. The shop was tiny and an elderly man stood at an old cash register. He was scribbling frantically on a piece of parchment. It wasn't until Trudy sneezed that he noticed his customers. Trudy was allergic to dust and this place was covered in it.

"Good morning," He said, striding over to them.

"Morning, Mr. Ollivander." Professor Snape replied.

"And who is this young lady, Severus Snape?" Mr. Ollivander asked.

"Miss Quinn." He replied. It was obvious Ollivander was expecting him to elaborate, but he did not.

"Very well, Nice to meet you, Miss Quinn."

"A pleasure, Mr. Ollivander." Trudy said.

"Are you in for a wand, my Dear?" He asked, wandering back along the shelves.

"Yes, Sir." She replied. Her eyes were watering and becoming red, but she followed him down one of the rows. He pulled down several small boxes appearing to be at random. He had her test nearly 30 wands before he paused. He began to circle her and surveyed her very carefully. "Hmm." He pondered.

"My Dear, Are you perhaps...an alchemist?" He asked.

"Well, Yes...but how did you know?"

He walked purposefully to the last row and pulled a large scaling ladder with him. He climbed to the very top of the last row and pulled out the box at the very bottom of that shelf.

"Here we are." He said, handing it to her. She flicked it and a spray of gold sparks burst from the tip.

"Well, There you are. I believe that is your wand. Mahogany, 10 and a quarter inches. Peacock tail feather core." He said rather affectionately.

"How did you know? How did you know I'm an alchemist?" Trudy asked, almost upset.

"I've been doing this for a very long time, Miss Quinn. I have learned to recognize people for what they are. I must admit though, there has only been one other like you that has come to me."

"I see." Trudy replied. She remembered getting her first wand. Her family had to travel quite a distance to get to a wizarding settlement. Full blooded alchemists had no use for wands.

"Well, if you will accompany me to the register-"

"No." Snape interjected. "I will meet you at the register."

"Alright, then." Mr. Ollivander replied looking a little perplexed.

"Black locust, 11 inches wasn't it? Raven feather core?" Mr. Ollivander said conversationally to Snape.

"Yes." Snape replied, producing said wand from his robes.

"Ah, Yes. A very good wand indeed. Quite strong." Ollivander commented, admiring Snape's wand.

After Professor Snape paid for the wand, they bid goodbye to Mr. Ollivander and stepped outside. The sun was high in the sky now, the errand had taken longer than expected.

"Thank you very much," Trudy said sincerely. Truthfully she felt uneasy. What if that wand was expensive?

"You're welcome." He muttered, leading her swiftly through the crowded street. Trudy thought they were heading back to the fireplace they came in from, but she was pleasantly surprised when they stopped at a shop called Slug and Jiggers Apothecary.

"Don't touch anything." Snape said to her.

"I'm not four years old, you know." Trudy said defensively.

He shrugged and went off down an aisle labeled 'scales' in black letters. Visiting an apothecary wasn't exactly new to an alchemist, but Trudy found an even wider array of ingredients available. She retreated in surprise when she walked along the back wall and found several dead animals hanging from ropes. The dead cockatrice had startled her in particular.

"What are you doing? Come on, let's go." Snape said as he approached her. He had a brown paper bag which implied he already bought what he needed.

"Look at this...I've never seen one before." She said in awe and indicated the dead cockatrice.

"It's a dead cockatrice." Snape replied, unimpressed.

"Ooh," she said and wandered a couple feet to the right. "What's this?" She was examining something that had several tails.

Professor Snape eventually managed to drag her out of the store. They made their way down to the Leaky Cauldron, ate lunch and then stood in line to use the fireplace. Snape noticed Trudy rubbing her eyes. They were red and swollen.

"Are you alright? Your eyes are all red." Snape asked as he took hold of her chin and examined her face more closely.

"Oh yes. I'm allergic to dust." she explained.

"Oh. I thought you touched something in the shop." Snape said, trying to act like he hadn't been concerned.

"No, no." She laughed. "If my brother, Simon was here, he'd be ten times worse! Poor Simon would sneeze a thousand times and his eyes would swell up! My sister and I made fun of him all the time. He gets so mad...I mean-"

"He used to get mad." she said flatly. He was gone now. Talking about him was too painful.  
Finally it was their turn and Trudy stepped into the fireplace first. Unfortunately, when she shouted her destination, she slipped on one of the logs and landed hard on her knees in Snape's fireplace. She groaned and started to crawl out, knowing Snape would being arriving any moment now. As if one disaster wasn't enough, Trudy panicked when she noticed the corner of her dress was caught on the grate. She turned and tried to yank it free with all her might. It ripped and hooked onto the grate stubbornly. _Come on, Please! _If she didn't get free soon the professor was going to land right on top of her. To her horror, the flames flashed brighter green and Snape crashed down onto her.

"Ouch!"

"What are you doing!?" He yelped in alarm. He dropped his brown bag and the box holding Trudy's wand.

"I fell." Trudy explained, coughing violently from inhaling the ash.

He braced his arms on the sides of the fireplace and pulled his weight up. It was a difficult thing to do with his knees cramped on the left side and the girl trapped underneath him.

"Get out. I can't stay like this forever!" He said, his voice was thick with fury.

"I can't! I'm stuck!" She announced miserably. Snape roared in frustration, but tried to stand up. He managed a half-sitting-half-standing position and tried to balance enough to see how she was stuck.

"I don't see it! How are you stuck?!" Snape's forehead creased in irritation. _Honestly! What I put up with for Dumbledore! I hope he appreciates this!_

"My dress, it's stuck on the grate. Right side!" Trudy choked.

He spotted it, reached down and gave it a mighty tug. It protested, but ripped free.

"You're free, now get out!" He shouted. Snape's left arm ached from holding his entire weight.

Trudy scrambled out of the grate and turned around to see if she could help the professor. He regained his balanced and ducked out, glaring fiercely at her.

"You go last from now on!" He spat. He removed Trudy's wand and the brown bag from the grate.

"Okay," Trudy agreed, still choking and coughing. She had inhaled quite a bit of ash and soot.

"I'm not sure I like the Floo network much..." She remarked, examining the damage done to her dress.

"Ya think?"

Professor Snape cursed and pulled out his wand. He magicked his clothes clean and looked to Trudy. She was quite a mess. Her knees were bloody and her light blue dress was ripped and covered in soot. She paced back and forth, fretting silently to herself.

"Here," He said taking out her wand and handing it to her. "Your first lesson."

She gripped it tightly and looked a little nervous.

"Point your wand at your dress. The incantation is 'scourgify'." He instructed.

"S-scourgify." She repeated hesitantly. Nothing happened.

"You have to concentrate on what you want to do." He explained more patiently than he felt.

"Sorry, I'm a little nervous." Trudy straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. _It's okay. You can still do this_, she told herself. "Scourgify." she stated clearly. The light blue dress was clean once again, but still had a rip at the bottom.

"Now do you know how to fix that?" Snape ask pointing at the rip.

"Only with alchemy..." Trudy admitted shyly.

"I'll teach you that as well. Flick your wrist like this and say 'Reparo." He said demonstrating the wrist flick slowly. She gave it a try, but the fabric gave a half hearted tug.

"Sorry..." Trudy sighed. This wasn't going so well. She hoped he wouldn't give up on her.

"Just try again." He said. "Flick your wrist more like this and you should do it a bit faster." Snape demonstrated the wrist flick again even slower. The second try worked much better and the dress appeared as if it had never battled with the fireplace.

"Okay. That's enough." He said in a final tone and slumped into his armchair.

"Thank you. Thank you very much." Trudy stared at him in disbelief. He was being awfully nice to her today...She was even more surprised that he was an excellent teacher.

They contented themselves with reading for the rest of the afternoon and when dinner time rolled around, Trudy got up and busied herself in the kitchen.

Snape could hear her singing in the kitchen as she cooked dinner. Her voice was soft and wasn't extremely beautiful, but it was pleasant to listen to. It sounded sad and Snape was sure it was in another language. _Gaelic perhaps? _He thought sleepily. He hadn't even noticed when it lulled him to sleep.

"Professor...?"

Snape jerked awake. Trudy was bending over him, her green eyes full of concern.

"What?" He asked groggily.

_"Sev? Are you alright? You slept through potions." _A familiar voice whispered in his head.

"Don't get so close to me." He said, pushing her back by her shoulder.

"Dinner's ready, but perhaps I should have let you rest? You look tired."Trudy said, thinking that he always looked so tired and a bit of extra rest might do him some good.

He merely grumbled and strode into the kitchen. He might as well get up, after all he was hungry. Trudy joined him at the table and they began to eat.

"Maybe you should go to bed early?" Trudy commented. She had noticed Snape normally retired after she did.

_"Sev, honestly! You don't look well! Maybe you should go to the hospital wing?"_

_"Lily, I'm fine."_

_"Are you sure...? You've never slept through potions before."_

_"Yes. I feel fine. Want to-"_

"Professor Snape? Are you alright?" Trudy asked. She stood up from the table and looked concerned. Snape scowled as he shook the memory from his mind.

"Miss Quinn! Would you kindly hold your tongue!? I don't get a moment's peace with you around here!" Snape yelled at her.

"Yes, Sir." She whispered and sat back down. She watched him for a moment longer. He did not look well. Sweat clung to his brow and he had dark circles under his eyes. Then it occurred to her that she recognized that look in his eyes...loss. Without a doubt, everything about him screamed 'loss.' Had Professor Snape lost something? They finished their meal in silence and Trudy retired to her bedroom. She sat on the bed and stared at her new wand. Her old one had never been this nice. Her heart skipped a beat as she envisioned the warden snapping hers, Simon's and Anna's wands in half and casting them into the fire. He had not been pleased. All three of them had been punished for having them. She could still almost taste the blood.

**A little bit of "Who's on first?" kind of humor in the first part of the chapter. Oh! I forgot to mention that all this takes place two years after Harry's parents are killed. Well that does it for Chapter four. Hope you enjoyed it!**

**CindersNSmoke**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

_"Sev, What happened!?" Lily shrieked and covered her nose. The smell of burnt hair was still thick in the air._

_"James and Sirius..." Severus muttered darkly._

_"Those jerks set your hair on fire!?" She yelled in outrage._

_He nodded and she rushed to him to survey the damage. The hair on the back of his head was considerably shorter than the front now. A bit of it stuck up at random._

_"How is it?" He asked miserably._

_"Not so bad." Lily lied._

_"Why did they do this to you? Did you do something?"_

_"Nothing! I didn't do anything!" Snape said defensively. This wasn't entirely truthful...Snape had bewitched Sirius's quill to vomit green ink all over his nearly finished essay._

_"Well, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind!" She said boldly and marched toward the door._

_"No, don't! Just forget it." He didn't want Lily fighting his battles for him._

_She frowned. "Well...alright."_

_"I know how we can get back at them," she said smirking evilly. "I know where they leave their school bags in the common room!"_

_"Are you sure you're in Gryffindor?" Severus asked grinning at his fellow conspirator._

_Lily laughed and slapped him on the back._

Professor Snape woke with a jolt. He sighed deeply. Ever since that girl started living here he found himself dreaming more and more about Lily. It wasn't so much that she resembled Lily, he'd seen plenty of girls that looked like Lily, but more that she was like her in some other way. He couldn't quite place what it was though. He groaned when he saw the morning light flooding through the kitchen window. He had fallen asleep in his chair again. It didn't surprise him much when he still felt unrested. He couldn't really remember the last time he had actually slept well. It felt like it had been a long, long time.

"You shouldn't do that, you know..." Snape heard a voice say to him.

"Do what?" He snarled at her.

"Sleep all night in that chair." Trudy answered, undeterred by his foul mood.

He stood up and straightened his back. He was feeling quite stiff.

"What are you, my mother?" He asked, his voice dripping with disgust. He flung open the secret entrance to the stairwell, entered and shut it behind him.

"Is it so wrong to care?" She called after him through the bookcase.

Later that day when Snape finally reemerged from the upstairs and he found Trudy studying the books he had borrowed on the carpet.

"Why don't you show me what you've learned?" It sounded more like an order than a request.

"Okay," she said, climbing to her feet and moving to the table. She was nervous and a little shy, but showed him what she knew.

"Well done," he remarked. "You've gotten through roughly two chapters already." He said, sounding impressed.

Snape helped her through the next chapter and before they even realized it, the day was nearly over. They ate dinner together and before Trudy was about to retire for the evening, she paused in the doorway.

"Professor Snape? May I come with you to Hogwarts again tomorrow?" She asked. Trudy crossed her fingers tightly behind her back, hoping he would say yes. She really wanted to hang out with Lenore.

"I suppose..." He replied, turning his back to her and busying himself with something on the table.

"Thank you," She said appreciatively and headed off to bed.

The next day Professor Snape was true to his word and took Trudy along with him to Hogwarts. She was told to arrive at his office at the same time in the evening, and was delighted when she found Lenore in the Great Hall.

"Hey, Trudy." Lenore greeted her happily.

"Hello, How are you?" Trudy replied.

"Fine. You?"

"I'm well. What should we do today?"

"Let's go outside." Lenore said, pushing her empty plate away from her and standing went down to the lake again and stared out along the grounds.

"Lenore, What's that over there?" Trudy asked, pointing to a dark mass of trees.

"Oh! We should explore in there today! That's the Forbidden Forest." Lenore announced.

"...But if it's forbidden..." Trudy said warily.

"It's only forbidden because it's easy to get lost in. It's not all that dangerous." Lenore said confidently. This was a flat out lie. The forbidden forest was incredibly dangerous.

"I'd rather not get lost either..." She replied, still reluctant.

"We won't get lost. Look," Lenore said and pulled out her wand in an agitated sort of way. "I know a spell that makes my wand a compass. We won't get lost. Don't worry."

But Trudy did worry and felt a little helpless as she followed Lenore into the forest. It was dark and a little eerie. The trees and thick underbrush seemed to hum excitedly as they entered.

"Listen, Lenore. I'm not sure we should be in here." Trudy said urgently.

"Trudyyyy," Lenore dismissed. "It's fine. I've been in here before." What she failed to mention was that the circumstances under which she had been in here had been entirely different. It had been safely escorted by the game keeper, Hagrid.

"I want to see if we can find a unicorn," she said, brushing away a vine that had snagged her skirt. They did not find a unicorn, however. Instead they found something a great deal more frightening.

Lenore stopped so abruptly that Trudy ran into her.

"What-?"

"Shh!" Lenore hissed. "Back up slowly and quietly," she whispered.

Trudy heard some kind of grinding noise. She craned her neck to see around Lenore's shoulder.

A great monster crouched with its back to them, gnawing on what looked like a dead deer. It was tall, with long legs and covered in fur. It had beautiful striped markings. The monster resembled a cat, but had long ears and a face more like a fox. They were lucky it was consumed in its meal, because it looked quite dangerous.

The girls began to back up very slowly. They were about 100 feet away when Lenore's foot got caught underneath a vine and she fell with a crash. The cat monster's head whipped around and spotted them with its great golden eyes. It hissed and in one graceful movement, it bounded toward them.

"Get up!" Trudy shrieked and hoisted Lenore up by the shoulders roughly.

They began to run, but they wouldn't get far. The cat monster moved through the forest effortlessly and would be upon them shortly.

"Do you know any spells?!" Trudy yelled, grabbing Lenore's hand to stay together.

Lenore said nothing, but continued to run as fast as she could. She looked as if she were racking her brains for some spell that could help them. Of course,in a moment of crisis one's mind becomes blank. They could hear it right behind them, any moment now it would pounce.

Lenore spun around and stopped dead in her tracks. She pointed her wand at the creature lunging at them and bellowed "Ruptispectus!" It skidded to a halt and swiped at the air around it. It's eyes had become swollen shut. It couldn't see them.

Lenore backed slowly away from it. It was sniffing the air, trying to discern where they were by sense of smell. It had huge fangs that glistened in the sunlight. Trudy gripped Lenore's arm so tightly that she let out a yelp of pain. The cat monster lunged toward the noise and its claws sunk deeply into Lenore's leg. She let out a scream and Trudy wrenched her away from the monster. Lenore stumbled and fell onto the ground a few feet away. Trudy ripped a branch from a nearby tree frantically and drew a transmutation circle in the dirt in front of the cat monster. It prowled dangerously close to her. She thrust her hands upon the circle and a wall of dirt erected from the ground, blocking it's path. The monster yowled furiously.

"Quickly! We have to hurry. It won't hold for long." Trudy shouted and helped Lenore up.

"I can't walk!" She cried, limping and wincing in pain.

"Hurry, I'll help you." Trudy said, taking some of Lenore's weight onto her shoulder. Trudy was terrified. The soil had been loose and weak,that wall would not hold for long.

When they made it quite a distance away from the monster and felt it was okay to stop, they threw themselves down onto a fallen tree.

"Are you okay?" Trudy asked, staring at her bloody leg.

"Yeah," She said in an unconvincing voice.

"We better stop that bleeding, or you'll pass out." Trudy said and bent over and picked up a fallen branch. She knelt beside Lenore and ripped the bottom of her dress into strips and applied a tourniquet to Lenore's thigh.

"Thanks." Lenore said in astonishment. It was odd that Trudy knew how to do such mundane things. In the wizarding world, most wounds could be healed by a simple spell.

"We can't stay. Get your wand out and use it as a compass." Trudy said, she was worried that Lenore's blood would attract other unwanted beasts.

"Okay," She panted and pulled her wand out. They had ran a considerable distance away from the castle. Lenore mustered the strength to stand and they hobbled on. It would be nearly dark before they got back.

"Sorry, Lenore. It's my fault you got hurt." Trudy said sadly.

"Nonsense, I was the one who wanted to come in here, remember?" She said, grinning at Trudy. Her wound hurt a lot and she knew it was her fault.

Night had fallen in the forest and Trudy felt uneasy. They should have been out of the forest by now...They were going the right way weren't they?

"Lenore, check your wand again, won't you?"

CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH! Trudy and Lenore froze. Something large was crashing through the forest and was getting very close to them. Trudy pulled Lenore behind a tree and they crouched in a low bush.

"Girls! Come on out now!" They heard a gruff voice call.

"Lenore! Lenore McGonagall!" It continued.

"That's Hagrid!" Lenore exclaimed and bolted up.

"Hagrid! Over here!" She shouted, waving her arms.

"Lenore! What're you doin' out here!?" A giant of a man yelled, crashing toward them.

The man was carrying a crossbow and a great black dog followed in his wake. He had a bushy beard and despite his size, a kind face. Hagrid carried Lenore and Trudy followed, patting the big black dog. It was quite friendly. They eventually made it back to the castle and hurried to the hospital wing. Hagrid left and said he was going to find Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. Trudy cringed slightly at the thought. She was almost two hours late and Hagrid would surely tell Professor Snape where she'd been. What if he refused to bring her back to Hogwarts?

The matron examined Lenore's leg and then looked to Trudy.

"You applied this tourniquet?" She inquired.

"Y-yes. I wasn't sure what else to do." Trudy explained.

"Well, you did the right thing. She might have bleed to death if you hadn't." The woman said approvingly.

The doors burst open and in flew a rather panic-stricken Professor McGonagall.

"You foolish girl!" She screamed at Lenore, whose face had gone quite white.

"What were you thinking going into the Forbidden Forest!? I ought to box your ears!" Professor McGonagall yelled, grabbing Lenore and pulling her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, Auntie." Lenore said apologetically.

"And you!" Professor McGonagall raged, turning her wrath toward Trudy. "Why did you go in there!?"

"I-I I'm sorry ma'am." Trudy stuttered. She was flustered by the sudden change in tack.

"Leave her alone, Auntie. She didn't want to go, I forced her. If she hadn't been with me, I might have died." Lenore piped in, the matron nodded in agreement.

Professor McGonagall winced at the thought. "Well, Miss Quinn if you know what's good for you, you'll go to Professor Snape as quickly as you can. He's practically beside himself with rage."

_Beside himself with rage? Oh my...That wasn't good at all._ Trudy felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. She was in big trouble.

"Are you alright? You're face has suddenly gone white!" Lenore exclaimed, glancing over at Trudy.

"Fine," Trudy squeaked. She stood up abruptly and said a hurried goodbye to Lenore. She ran out of the hospital wing and skidded down the hallway at top speed. _I'm in so much trouble!_ She rushed down to the dungeons and knocked hastily on the door of Snape's office.

She cautiously opened the door and walked inside. Professor Snape sat at his desk. _Why did it seem like there was a black cloud of doom hanging overhead?_ He surveyed her with his dark eyes as she entered and sat in the hard wooden chair facing his desk.

"You and I need to have a chat," He said softly. Trudy wasn't thrown by the calmness of his voice. She could tell he was quite angry. She nodded her head cooperatively.

"Hagrid had some interesting news for me," He said smoothly. He had his elbows propped on the desk and his fingers laced together. His chin rested gently on his fingers.

"D-did he?" Trudy replied. She almost preferred the shouting instead of this deadly calm Snape.

"Yes...He seemed to be under the impression that you and Miss McGonagall had gone into the forbidden forest today." Snape said as he glared daggers at her.

"Is that true?" He asked. Snape's lips had become very thin and he sat very still, almost like a statue.

"Y-Yes, Sir. I'm afraid it is. I'm very sorry." Trudy said, lowering her head submissively.

"What on earth possessed you to go into the forbidden forest?" Snape asked. His eyes flashed dangerously.

"I'm not blaming this on Lenore," She started hesitantly. "It's just as much my fault as it is hers. I should have known better when she told me that it was forbidden. She said it was forbidden because it was easy to get lost in, not because it was dangerous."

"She showed me that she knew a spell that would keep us from getting lost. It was against my better judgment." Trudy explained delicately. A cold silence followed.

"Please forgive me." Trudy whispered. She felt so stupid. _Why had that seemed like a good idea?_ She hoped that he'd still take her to Hogwarts with him. She couldn't stand the thought of being left alone again.

Professor Snape was shocked that Lenore had lied to her. Well, maybe not that shocked, but shocked that she would lie about such a dangerous place. _What if they had been killed? That foolish Gryffindor and her ridiculous blind courage! How was that an endearing quality!?_ He wondered, picturing Lenore dragging Trudy into the forest.

"Do you realize that you could've been killed!? Hagrid told me that Lenore was injured. What happened!?" His voice suddenly thick with fury. He glanced at Trudy. She had small cuts all over her face and shoulders and her dress had been ripped nearly to shreds.

"Yes, I'm sorry. We were attacked by some kind of monster. We got away, but we were really scared." She admitted and clenched her fists in her lap. _What if Lenore had been killed? Would she have even more blood on her hands than she already did?_ Trudy blinked back tears. She wasn't going to cry, she told herself angrily. _No way am I going to cry in front of him._

"You've been very careless," His voice cut like a knife. "I will not permit you to see Miss McGonagall for two weeks. Perhaps being separated from your friend will teach you to think for yourself!" He spat.

"Yes, Sir." Trudy replied. She knew she deserved whatever punishment she was dealt.

"May I tell her of this?" Trudy asked shakily.

"No," He replied cruelly. "You will stay in this office and work on your studies. Even someone as dimwitted as Miss Lenore McGonagall will assume what happened."

"Yes, Sir." She nodded sadly.

Snape stood up abruptly and glided away from the desk.

"Get up. We're going home." He said grabbing her roughly by the arm and dragging her out of his office. It was a horrible end to a horrible day. Trudy vowed she would not fall into Lenore's harebrained schemes again so easily. She did like Lenore and wasn't particularly angry at her. Her mischievous ways vaguely reminded her of her brother. However, she now recognized her trouble making potential. She would have to be on her guard from now on.

**End of Chapter Five!**

**Lenore's a cheeky little thing, isn't she?** **Well, hope you enjoyed it! Next time you'll find out a bit more about the Alchemist Guild!**

**-CindersNSmoke**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The next day was horribly boring. Trudy felt rather trapped sitting in the corner of Snape's office. She worked in her books and did the assignments Professor Snape had given her, but she couldn't help feeling a little stir-crazy stuck in the cold and dark room.

"What do you suppose that thing was?" Trudy asked, referring to the cat-like monster in the woods. Bored out of her mind, she tried to strike up a conversation.

"Miss Quinn, you are being punished. Stop trying to talk to me." He said firmly. His greasy black hair fell into his face as he bent in closer to his work.

"You're still mad at me, aren't you?" She asked miserably.

"No...Miss Quinn, I'm not." He said in a low voice and sighed heavily. This was the truth of course. It was hard to stay mad at someone like Trudy.

They worked in silence the entire day. As it grew late in the evening, Trudy felt as if the day was never going to end. She really wanted to go outside, but didn't dare ask. She could tell this was going to be a very long two weeks.

Later that night they sat together in the sitting room. Snape was engrossed in a book as usual and Trudy sat huddled by the fire, thinking hard. He had said he wasn't mad at her, but she didn't really believe that. Snape seemed like he was sulking. She felt really bad that she wasn't able to tell Lenore she wouldn't be able to see her. What if Lenore thought she hated her or something?

Snape watched her sitting by the fireplace. She looked gloomy as she stretched out her thin fingers toward the warmth of the fire.

"Quit looking so tragic." He said to her. Trudy turned her face to him. Her cheeks were pink from sitting so close to the fire.

"Sorry?" She asked, her face still distinctly discontent.

"Come on." He said and got up and walked toward the bookcase. "Don't know why I'm doing this..." He muttered as he flung open the door to the narrow stairwell and started up them.

She started to follow him, but stopped at the steps of the staircase.

"Is it okay? I've never been up here before..." She asked nervously.

"Yes, Yes. Hurry up." Snape snapped, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Sorry," she said, hurrying up the steps to him.

He lead her down a hall and turned left. They were in a room that seemed to be a lab/study. Cabinets full of potion ingredients lined the walls and a large table stood in the middle of the room strewn with cauldrons, mortar and pestle and a few objects Trudy didn't recognize. Snape went to one of the cabinets and began pulling down bottles and boxes from the second shelf.

"I'll teach you something easy, a forgetfulness potion ought to suffice." He said, clearing some space and slamming the ingredients onto the table.

He opened the Magical Drafts and Potions book and handed it to Trudy.

"The instructions. These are the goldfish scales." He said pointing to the only unlabeled box on the table.

Trudy got to work and found that she rather liked making this potion. It was almost a game to try to be as precise as possible. She found its need to be exact similar to alchemy. Professor Snape watched her and added helpful tips here and there.

"You'll need to grind that up a little further. It needs to be a very fine powder."

"Oh, Okay. Thank you."

Once she was done, Trudy took a large wooden spoon and stirred the mixture. It turned a sickly color yellow. Snape peered into the cauldron.

"It looks as if you've done everything correctly." He said.

"This is fun," Trudy added.

"Indeed," Snape said unenthusiastically. "Go downstairs and write a two page essay on the uses and side effects of a forgetfulness potion." He said, collecting the ingredients and placing them back on the shelf in the cabinet.

As Trudy walked downstairs to the sitting room she thought about the lesson. She appreciated Professor Snape taking the time to teach her these things. Trudy found it odd for him to be so kind.

The next two weeks dragged on slowly as ever, but in the evenings Professor Snape continued to teach Trudy potions. This was the only thing keeping Trudy from going Sunday before the two weeks were up, Trudy stood in the sitting room and looked out the small front window. She could hardly contain her excitement of seeing Lenore the next day.

"May I go outside?" Trudy asked, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. It occurred to her that she'd never been outside of this house, aside from when she first came here with Professor Dumbledore. She vaguely remembered a park across the street.

"Whatever," Snape said, engrossed in his notes. He waved his hand at her dismissively.

"Come back before dark," He said as she stepped outside. Trudy noticed that Snape's house seemed to be one of few houses occupied on this street. Many of the houses had boards nailed to their windows and doors. The mailboxes of the vacant houses lay crumpled on the ground, no doubt the work of teenagers with baseball bats. She crossed the uneven cobblestone street and hurried through someone's yard to get to the small park.

It was a decent park, considering the neighborhood in which it belonged. It had a swing set and jungle gym. An old metal slide stood off to the left and a teetertotter on the right. Trudy settled herself in one of the swings. She could see an old dilapidated mill across the street. Birds nests were visible on the ledges and frames of its windows. The silo beside it was rusted and had gaping holes carved into its sides.

The cool night air was pleasant as she swung back and forth lazily on the swing. Trudy wished she had worn a jacket, because even though it was the middle of summer, it became quite chilly at night.

Crack! Trudy looked around wildly, she knew that sound...At the other end of the park, she spotted a tall man with dark hair and a thick beard, streaked with gray. He was clearly a wizard with his dark billowing robes. He threw himself onto a nearby park bench. There was another man beside him doubled over on the ground. He was younger with short brown hair. He scrambled to his feet and the older man yelled something at him and... pointed at her? Trudy squinted at the pair. She must have seen wrong...Her heart began beating very fast in trepidation.

In a split second decision, Trudy jumped out of the swing in mid air and hit the ground running toward a grouping of trees at the edge of the park. She didn't know for sure why she was running away, but knew she didn't want to be anywhere near these two men.

She heard heavy footsteps behind her and looked around in horror to find the brown haired man pelting after her. Trudy gulped as she noticed that he was quite a bit faster than her and would be gaining on her very shortly.

Trudy could feel him right behind her. He was so close that he was swiping the air trying to grab her. His right arm swung at her, snagged her hair, and he dragged her forcefully to the ground. She twisted in his grasp and kneed him swiftly in the groin. He yelped in pain and staggered slightly, but kept hold of her.

"You'll pay for that!" He hissed and slammed his fist into her face.

Crunch! It hurt. It hurt a lot. Blood poured from her nose and splattered down her chin and neck.

Her eyes streamed with pain, but she tried to focus on her attacker. His face was contorted in agony and it looked as if he had to use every ounce of his strength to stay balanced. Now was her chance to escape! She kicked him again with all her might. He screamed and loosened his grip just enough for her to slip struggled to her feet and ran as fast as her legs would carry her. The man continued to limp after her, but thankfully he wasn't nearly as fast as he had been. Trudy thrust her hand into her pocket and grasped her wand tightly.

She racked her brains for some useful spell. She didn't know any defensive spells! She desperately tried to remember what Lenore had used on the monster in the forest. _Something to do with the eyes!_

Then a different spell came to her mind. Simon had used it against a classmate in a fight once. The memory was so firmly rooted in her mind that she was sure she remembered the proper incantation.

"Flipendo!" She yelled, pointing her wand behind her. The man with brown hair flew backwards and hit the ground hard. She didn't stop to see if she hit him however, she knew she had to keep running. The wizard was sure to follow as soon as he noticed his partner's failed attempt. She bolted into the small strip of woods and tore through the brush as fast as she could.

After about 20 minutes of running, she threw herself behind a tree. Her heart was racing so frantically that she thought it might give out on her. Thick globs of blood dripped down her chin and fell to the earth. It was dark now and she prayed that Snape would come to look for her. She rung her hands nervously and panted, trying to catch her breath. Should she make a run for it back to Snape's? Or should she try to stay hidden in here? Neither sounded like good ideas.

"There you are..." She heard the gray wizard's voice ring through the trees. She panicked, unable to tell what direction he was coming from. She spotted him a moment too late. He pointed his wand at her and bellowed, "Locomotor Mortis!"

It hit Trudy square in the chest and she felt her legs lock together. She teetered unsteadily, but managed to shout "Flipendo!" at him. An invisible force threw him back into a tree. Trudy lost her balance and fell to the ground with a crash. Her wand flew out of her hand and landed several feet away.

The gray wizard staggered to his feet and adjusted his robes. He chuckled to himself as he approached her. Trudy lay face down on the ground, her useless legs refused to budge one inch, but she clawed at the earth. She was slowly dragging herself to her wand. _Just a bit further!_ Trudy stretched her arms out. She was terrified, but determined to fight him.

"You put up a better fight than I thought you would." The wizard remarked, stepping over a twisted vine blocking his path.

"Hans is out cold." He said, referring to the muggle man assisting him. He was clearly amused.

A cruel smile curled on his lips as he watched Trudy struggle to reach her wand.

"My, you're persistent." The gray wizard laughed, kicking Trudy's wand just out of reach. He had a great booming laugh and it echoed within the trees.

"Just kill me then!" She shouted at him, she knew she had been beat. It was only a matter of time. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of begging for her life.

"Kill you? My dear, what on earth would I want to kill you for?" He laughed loudly again and paused over her.

"You are very valuable..." He said with a distinct note of greed in his voice. He reached down with powerful arms and just as he was about to grab hold of Trudy, something slammed into his chest. He fell backwards and lay motionless.

Trudy whipped her head around and saw, to her great relief, Professor Snape stalking deliberately through the underbrush. His face was unreadable. Snape removed the jinx from Trudy's legs and she scrambled to collect her wand. She glanced at the unconscious wizard. _He was just unconscious, right?_

"Did-did you kill him?" She asked, staring fixedly at the man. He was very still. _He was breathing, wasn't he?_

"No, I didn't kill him!" Snape shouted in outrage. He snatched Trudy's arm and squeezed tightly.

"Ouch! wh-"

CRACK!!

Trudy suddenly found herself lying in the street of village. She held her stomach, her insides felt as if they'd just been rearranged. She felt a little dizzy, but clambered to her feet. Trudy guessed that the man called Hans had felt the same way when he apparated with the wizard to the park. She saw a sign on her left and discovered that they had apparated to a village called Hogsmeade.

Professor Snape glanced at her as they rushed toward The Three Broomsticks. Aside from the violently bloody nose and a few scraps and bruises, she wasn't much worse for wear. They burst into the bar and flooed directly to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore looked startled by the amount of blood dripping from Trudy's face and hurried over to them.

"Get out. I have something to discuss with the Headmaster." Snape said giving her a slight push toward the door. She left down the steps obediently. Dumbledore looked as if he wished to protest. He wanted find out what all the blood was from, but he let it pass and assumed he would find out soon enough.

"What exactly have you gotten me into!?" Snape screamed as soon as the staircase came to a halt.

"Severus, I have no idea what you are talking about..."

"What do you mean! ? She was attacked practically right outside my house! Two men were trying to abduct her!"

"Oh my, Do they know that she's staying at your house?"

"Well, no, I don't think so...Wait? Who's they?!"

"If they were trying to capture her instead of kill her, I would guess it's the Conclave of Immortality."

"Why didn't you tell me about this before!?" Snape bellowed. The portraits hanging on the walls covered their ears with their hands and glared at Snape.

"Please sit down, Severus." Dumbledore said kindly. Dumbledore was accustomed to Snape's temper tantrums.

Snape threw himself into a chair and glowered at the Headmaster.

"Forgive me for not telling you sooner...I didn't think news of her survival would travel this fast." He apologized, gliding to his desk.

"It seems that aside from the Defenders of Natural Order determined to exterminate every living alchemist, there also appears to be a group wishing to capture her. The Conclave believes she may know the secrets to the philosopher's stone. This is the same group that has been after Nicolas Flamel and the underground Alchemist Guild for centuries." Dumbledore said meaningfully.

"Well, does she?"

"Does she what?"

"Know anything about the philosopher's stone?"

"I don't know. I believe you are in a better position to ask her that, Severus."

About an hour later, Snape trudged down the stone steps and found Trudy slumped against the gargoyle, asleep. The blood had dried on her face and she had sticks and leaves poking out of her curly red hair. She now vaguely resembled a tribal mask of some sort. He shook her awake and they flooed back to Snape's house.

"Do you know anything about the philosopher's stone?" It was more of an accusation than a question.

"I regret to say that I do." Trudy replied. Her hands were folded neatly on Snape's kitchen table.

"You should have mentioned that before!" he raged pacing in front of her.

"Forgive me, Sir. It is not something one speaks of lightly." She suddenly looked more serious than Snape had ever seen her.

"Every alchemist takes an oath to never reveal it's secrets to an outsider. We also vow to never create one ourselves. So you will understand why I cannot tell you everything." She explained softly.

"However, due to the circumstances...I believe it is necessary that you and Dumbledore be informed. I don't have to tell you that an object that can grant immortality is dangerous, but the philosopher's stone is dangerous even its construction."

She took a deep breath, as if bracing herself for a blow. "You see, to create the stone, an essential ingredient is human lives. It takes thousands of sacrifices."

"Many centuries ago, even the Alchemist Guild sought to create the stone. When Nicolas Flamel finally succeeded, he was praised as the greatest alchemist in the world. Until the Guild discovered how he'd done it. They cast him out and marked the philosopher's stone as forbidden."

"Nicolas Flamel survives today. Living off the souls trapped within the philosopher's stone." Trudy said scathingly.

"The Conclave of Immortality has chased after the secrets of the stone since its creation. This is why the Guild went underground and became highly secretive."

"I should have known I couldn't hide for long." She said laying her head down on the table in defeat.

"We were safe from them in the underground. It had only been a concern when alchemists traveled outside of the guild's protection. I can't believe I didn't see this coming..." Trudy berated herself.

Professor Snape was at a lost for words. He had no idea that the philosopher's stone required human sacrifices. That was just too bizarre. Nicholas Flamel was praised as a great alchemist. Evidently no one else knew of his great sin. Snape had to admit that despite how bizarre it was, it made sense. Why else would two extremist groups be so interested in the alchemists?

"Why was the Guild attacked?" Snape asked. He had a sneaking suspicion it was because of the stone.

"The Defenders of Natural Order learned of the stone and believed the Alchemist Guild was planning to create another. They feared the stone's power." She answered, not lifting her head.

"They did not understand and when we do not understand something, we tend to fear it. Unfortunately, we when fear something, we also tend to destroy it." Trudy said sleepily.

This was quite true. Human nature was often dictated by this rule. Yes, the stone was dangerous, but was it worth destroying an entire race over? Snape surveyed her for a moment. She looked exhausted and a little sad. He felt a slight surge of affection for the girl. He hadn't really thought of it before, but she had been through a lot. Judging by the fight she had put up in the park, she was not unaccustomed to doing so either. Snape wondered how many times Trudy had fought for her life just like tonight, but dared not ask.

**End of chapter 6!**

**CindersNSmoke**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Trudy hazily remembered something poking her head in her sleep and wasn't surprised to pull a stick complete with twigs and leaves out of her hair. Crickets chirped lazily outside her window. It wasn't quite morning and the room was still dark. She blinked several times, willing her eyes to focus. She hadn't slept well at all, her dreams had been turbulent. Despite the early hour, she decided she'd rather be awake.

Trudy got up and wandered into the bathroom. When she looked in the mirror she discovered a rather frightening appearance. Leaves entwined within her curly red hair and it stuck out randomly in all directions. Professor Snape had fixed her broken nose last night, but the blood was still caked on her thin face. She hastily washed the blood off in the sink, took a bath, got dressed and reevaluated her reflection.

Aside from the thin purplish circles under her eyes, she looked much better. She went into the kitchen and ate breakfast in silence with Professor Snape. He seemed like he was in a bad mood. Well, in a worse mood than usual. When they finally left for Hogwarts, Trudy was delighted to find Lenore skipping stones at the lake.

"I wondered what happened to you! I thought the evil bat locked you up in a cell or something." She joked. "Is that really all you got? Restriction from _me_? Snape's softer than I thought! I couldn't sit down for-"

Trudy laughed.

"Anyway, Trudy, I am sorry I got you into trouble." Lenore said sheepishly. She threw another stone out into the water and Trudy could see her face turning slightly pink.

"It's alright." She replied. "Please don't do something like that again though. I don't think Professor Snape would be as forgiving a second time."

"Fair enough," Lenore sighed.

"Oh, Lenore, listen I've got to tell you something." Trudy said. She told her about the abduction attempt that happened yesterday, careful to leave out key details of why these men were so interested in capturing her.

"Wow. That's insane. You're lucky Snape found you when he did! I wonder what they wanted with you anyway..." Lenore said in disbelief.

"Yeah, uh. No idea." Trudy lied. Lenore gave her a skeptical look, but let it pass. Evidently, Trudy was a terrible liar.

That afternoon they went into the Great Hall together for lunch. Even though she had eaten at Hogwarts many times now, Trudy was still amazed at how the food just appeared on the table when they sat down.

"How does this work?" She asked in amazement.

"How does what work?" Lenore asked, taking a huge bite out of a turkey leg.

"The food. It just appears here." Trudy said pointing to the plate in front of her.

"House elves." She explained, chewing contently. Trudy hadn't the slightest idea what a house elf might be, but before she could ask a large barn owl swooped over them and landed gracefully in front of Lenore. It stuck it's leg out at her and hooted impatiently. A small letter was tied to it.

"It's my family's owl, Hamilton." she said excitedly as she untied the note.

Lenore frowned as she read the letter.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing, my parents won't be coming back like they planned. My Aunt will have to take me to Diagon Alley for my supplies." Lenore said dismissively. She acted as if she didn't care, but as Trudy watched her glance back at the letter, it was evident that she did.

"That's too bad. I'm sorry." Trudy said kindly.

"It's no big deal. They always do this. They don't care." She said indifferently. Yet somehow her eyes seemed to reflect less light than before.

"I'm sure they care, Lenore..."

"They don't." She said firmly, not wishing to discuss the subject further.

"Want to go to Diagon Alley with us? I'm sure my Aunt won't mind." Lenore asked, promptly changing the subject.

"Sure, I'll have to ask the Professor if I can go first."

"Oh, yes. That's right. You always do as you're told." Lenore scoffed. The letter had put her in a bad mood. Trudy shrugged, this was true. She wasn't daring like Lenore was, she'd admit that freely. Though now she suspected that Lenore acted out for attention. Perhaps her parents really were neglectful. On impulse, Trudy suddenly swung her arm around Lenore's shoulders. She looked startled for a moment and then smiled broadly. It was nice to have a friend.

That night upstairs in the study while Snape was teaching Trudy a potion, she suddenly remembered Lenore inviting her to Diagon Alley. She surveyed the professor and wondered if now would be a good time to ask.

"Professor? I was wondering..." Trudy began, gingerly pouring powder onto the measuring scales.

Frowning slightly, Snape looked up from the box of colored beetles he was sorting.

"You see, Lenore invited me to..uh.." Trudy stammered underneath his intent gaze.

"Go to Diagon Alley with her and her aunt." She finished in a hurry before she lost her nerve to ask.

Snape cocked an eyebrow at her. "and...you're asking for permission?" He asked smoothly. His face was unreadable.

"Well, yes..." She said trying to focus on her dry mixture of ingredients, determined not to look at Professor Snape.

He turned back to his beetle sorting without saying a word. Should he let her go? Was it safe after the attack yesterday? _She will be with Minerva though.._.He thought Professor McGonagall would be adequate protection, but he wasn't sure how he felt about Lenore going along as well. She might cause trouble. However, Trudy would be needing school robes when the term started.

"Professor Snape, may I go?" Trudy asked timidly after Snape hadn't responded for several minutes.

"Fine! You may go!" Snape hissed, waving his hand at her. He hunched his shoulders and glared as he continued to sort beetles a bit more forcefully than before.

"T-thank you!" Trudy exclaimed, spilling some powder in her excitement.

Later that evening when Trudy sat at the kitchen table scratching out yet another essay, Snape walked into the room and tossed a small bag onto the table.

"For your school robes." He explained before she could open her mouth to ask.

"Have Professor McGonagall take you to Madam Malkin's." He instructed, throwing himself into a chair.

"This is money? I can't take this. You've done enough for me already." Trudy said, pushing the bag toward him.

"Nonsense. Take it. You have to have robes. Besides, the school will reimburse me. There's a fund for vagabonds such as yourself." Snape said, not having any of it.

Trudy felt bad, but couldn't argue with this logic. She'd look a little silly being the only one not in uniform. Though he was insulting her, the gesture was mildly endearing.

"Thank you very much," she said, inclining her head slightly. Snape nodded and reached across the table and grabbed her essay.

"Wait-I'm not finished," she protested, catching the corner of it.

Snape glared and wrenched it out of her hand. He skimmed it quickly.

"Well, judging by this and your work so far...I think it's fair to say that you'll be at second year level by the time school starts." He said, pushing the essay back across the table.

"Oh," Trudy frowned. She'd have to get another set of textbooks. Would she be able to borrow them for a whole school year?

"Stop with that face," He sneered. "You'll be able to borrow the books."

Trudy gave him a confused look. Was she that easy to read?

"Are you sure I'll be ready?" Trudy asked, feeling uneasy. "Potions, Charms, and History of Magic are alright, but my Transfiguration..." She added hesitantly.

"You're forgetting Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and Astronomy." He listed, smirking at the look of horror on her face.

"W-what? There's more?"

"Oh yes, I guess I can bring you those books as well..." He rolled his eyes as if it were a taxing chore.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts? How come you haven't been teaching me that!? I get attacked and all I know how to do is repair things!" She accused and then clapped her hands over her mouth. She hadn't meant to sound ungrateful. She couldn't help but think that knowing a few defensive spells would have saved her a great deal of trouble.

"I-I mean...ah, um. Sorry. I'm not trying to sound ungrateful..." She stuttered truthfully, hoping he wouldn't be mad.

"So...You want to learn some defensive spells?"He asked, his voice as smooth as silk. Trudy said nothing and silently berated herself for being so rude.

"I'll teach you," he said darkly and stood up abruptly. "Come with me." Something about his voice told her it was an order not a request. Trudy followed him at his heels to the sitting room. He pulled his wand from his robes and the furniture flew against the walls.

"Stand over there," He instructed, "and get your wand out!" he snapped impatiently. Trudy hastily pulled her wand from her pocket and held it tightly in her hand. Why did she get the feeling that he was going to hex her?

"Listen carefully. This is a very difficult spell. It's going to take some practice. Students don't normally learn this one for a few years, but in your case I believe it is necessary. It takes a great deal of concentration, so you need to focus." He explained.

"You are attempting to create a energy barrier against my attacks. The incantation is 'protego.' Try it a few times on your own first." Snape instructed, pacing the floor. _Against his attacks!?_ Trudy didn't like the sound of that. She attempted the spell several times with failed results. _This is what I get for complaining!_ She thought, feeling more and more discouraged.

"Keep trying." Snape snarled noticing her attitude.

Trudy desperately wanted to complain and give up, but she decided it wouldn't hurt to try a few more times. When she finally was capable of conjuring the shield, Snape abruptly changed tack.

"Now, defend yourself." Before Trudy had even registered his words a jet of light streaked across the room and struck her in the hand.

"Ouch!" Trudy yelped, rubbing her hand. It had stung like a bee.

"Concentrate." Snape growled at her, throwing another jinx in her direction.

"Ow! I wasn't ready!" She whined, feeling considerably vexed.

After several tries with Trudy failing to produce a shield charm and getting jinxed every time, she let out an aggravated groan. _He's doing this on purpose! I'll never be able to create the shield at this rate!_

Trudy fixed him with the most intense glare she could muster and focused on his wand hand for the slightest movement. Snape's wrist flicked lightly and she shouted "protego!" Trudy succeeded in producing the shield, but was so surprised by doing so that she promptly lost control and it pushed her back into a bookcase. She fell to the floor and banged her knee on the sofa leaning against the shelf.

"I can't do it!" She whined in frustration.

"Get up! Don't give up." Snape scolded, striding to the fallen girl.

"I can't do it!" She said determinately. "It's too hard! You aren't giving me time to react!"

Snape reached down and grasped her elbow tightly. "Are dark wizards going to give you time to react?! Now get up! You can do this, just keep trying." He hissed through clenched teeth, and forcefully hoisted her up by the elbow.

Trudy had to admit he had a point. He was harsh, maybe even a little cruel, but he was right. Dark wizards wouldn't give her a fair chance. She nodded and steadied herself for another attack.

This time she'd be ready, Trudy told herself. A split second later a flash of light was coming straight at her.

"Protego!" Trudy managed to shout just in time. The spell bounced off of the shield and ricocheted into a bookcase, sending several books flying.

"Very good," Snape remarked, but Trudy hadn't heard him. She had rushed over to the bookcase and was hurriedly shoving the fallen books back onto the shelf.

"Sorry, I'm sorry." She apologized, kneeling and picking up handfuls of books.

"It's fine. Miss Quinn, Do you realize that you performed the shield charm?" He asked incredulously.

Trudy froze. She had done it? She was stunned. Just a moment ago she had tried to give up.

"Thanks to you. I would have given up." Trudy replied, not facing him.

"It's a difficult spell." He said mildly. "I didn't expect you to get it the first time."_ What was she getting so discouraged about? I told her it was a hard spell. _Snape sighed heavily. He felt too invested in this girl's success for his liking.

"Well, that's enough practice for tonight." Snape decided, restoring the furniture to their proper places and stowing his wand safely in his robes.

"You know, I have a sneaking suspicion that you just enjoy jinxing me. The minute I get the hang of it, we stop." Trudy commented playfully, collapsing onto the sofa.

"Perhaps I do," he said softly, smirking evilly at her. Trudy returned his smirk with a feigned look of outrage.

"We can practice again tomorrow night." He said seriously. "If you had any sense you'd try to get that worthless Miss McGonagall to practice with you."

"Oh, alright." Trudy agreed. She wondered if Lenore already knew the shield charm.

Trudy didn't know much about defense, but this was certainly a start. The lesson hadn't been quite what she'd expected, but she was glad Professor Snape had agreed to teach her the subject. She secretly worried about the trip to Diagon Alley tomorrow. Surely she'd be safe with the McGonagalls? Trudy sighed and stared at the ceiling. Maybe she shouldn't go after all?

"What? Do you hate defense lessons already?" Snape scoffed, crossing his arms.

"No! Not at all! I-I was just worried." Trudy replied, flailing her arms wildly.

"It is okay that I go tomorrow, right?" She asked, biting her lip nervously.

"I told you that you could go already." Snape snapped in irritation. He settled into his armchair and frowned at the floor.

"No, I mean...um, what if the Conclave finds out I'm there?" Trudy whispered, pulling her knees to her chest. What a scary thought!

"It's fine, as long as you stay with Professor McGonagall." He replied with his face turned from her. He had tried his damnedest to avoid that subject. He was secretly wary of it as well.

"Oh, okay." She replied, but wasn't entirely convinced. He hadn't seemed all that sure...

The next morning Trudy bid Snape goodbye in the usual spot outside the stone gargoyle and was startled when he grabbed her sleeve.

"Miss Quinn," Snape said, his stony expression faltering slightly.

"Yes, Sir?" She was confused, normally he stalked off without a word.

He opened his mouth to say something, but paused. He released her sleeve and his hand fell to his side.

"Be careful." He said and turned away hastily.

"I will," She called after him as he disappeared around the corridor.

Trudy stood there for a moment staring after him. Had he sounded concerned? How odd! Trudy had been under the impression that he would be pleased to be rid of her. A small cough made Trudy jump and she whirled around to see Professor Dumbledore standing behind her.

"Oh! You scared me!" She exclaimed, clutching her chest. He chuckled good naturedly.

"It seems Professor Snape is more fond of you than he'd like to admit." Dumbledore remarked staring down the hall and smiling.

"I suppose...Are you going somewhere, Sir?" Trudy asked noticing his traveling cloak.

"Oh, yes. I'll be out most of the day, I'm afraid. Good day, Trudy." He replied.

"Good bye! Please return safely!" She called after him as he strolled down the corridor. He was a rather mysterious man.

Trudy nearly skipped down the hall in her excitement to see Lenore.

"Oh, Trudy. There you are!" Lenore exclaimed happily when she entered McGonagall's office.

"Guess what!?" She chatted excitedly. "My friend Letty and her family are meeting us in Diagon Alley!" She was nearly bouncing around the room in her excitement.

"Lenore, sit down!" Professor McGonagall scolded impatiently.

"Miss Quinn, Professor Snape sent me a note," Professor McGonagall said glancing down at the letter in her hand. Trudy could see writing through the back and small cramped writing filled the entire page.

"I understand that we'll only have to get you school robes?" She inquired.

"Yes, ma'am." Trudy replied, wondering what Professor Snape had wrote to her. Surely it didn't take a whole page to explain the need of a school uniform.

"Well, girls. Let's be on our way. The Greene's are going to meet us at the Leaky Cauldron." Professor McGonagall said stowing the letter inside a drawer in her desk. She smiled, but looked a little distracted by something as she lead them out of the office and down the corridor.

**End of Chapter 7!**

**Hope everyone is enjoying their 4th of July weekend! **

CindersNSmoke


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